The First Known Light Painting Photos

PetaPixel

The first known light painting photographs were made way back in 1914, when Frank and Lillian Moller Gilbreth used small lights and long exposure photos to capture the motion of workers. Subjects ranged from handkerchief folders to bricklayers. The photos weren’t meant as art, but were instead made to help develop ways to increase employee output and simplify job tasks.

Here’s an unrelated but interesting fact: Frank Gilbreth is the father and central figure in Cheaper By The Dozen, which was written by his son and turned into a Hollywood movie in 1950.